Forget Cold Calling, Start Cold Sending

Photo credit (Image Credit: Dreamstime)
By Audacy

Nobody likes an inbox filled with spam, and you certainly don’t want your name associated with annoying junk mail. However, reaching out to potential customers through email can be very effective if you do your homework and make an effort to connect personally with your target. What does this mean? Using a one-size-fits-all template and failing to recognize the unique nature of your recipient’s needs will ensure your message goes directly to the Trash folder.

To spark interest, take time to customize your pitch, display your knowledge of your target’s business and explain your unique qualifications to address their problems. This is, of course, time-consuming, but you need to think quality over quantity. A few well-crafted pitches will bring greater rewards than a thousand rote, spammy emails. You want to do more than make a sale; you want to establish a relationship. Your email is your introduction. Make it resonate by following these guidelines.

 

Don’t use click-bait subject lines

Your subject line is your thesis statement. Summarize the main point of your message using as few words as possible. You want something that will grab attention, but avoid anything that sounds salesy. Skip the hyperbole and exclamation marks. Have respect for your prospects. No one is buying the “Jump on this offer before it goes away” shtick.

 

Explain why you specifically chose them

There must be a reason you are targeting this prospect. Display your knowledge of this person and his or her business. Open with a personalized introduction. Have they launched a new product or recently won an industry award? Mention these. Do you know of recent innovations in your prospect’s industry? Let your email recipient know you are on top of current trends. It doesn’t hurt to mention mutual connections, perhaps LinkedIn contacts or local community ties.

 

Explain what you can do for them with examples

You have to offer something of value and prove that you can deliver. Include examples of your customers with similar businesses and describe how you have helped them. You don’t need to fill an email with testimonials, just something along the lines of “With our help, XYZ Company was able to reduce inventory shrinkage by 70 percent.”

 

Keep it brief and jargon-free

Write in a friendly, conversational, tone but get to the point. Three or four short paragraphs are enough to introduce yourself and pitch your product or service. Your email should roughly follow this outline:

Introduction - State who you are and what you do. Comment on your target’s business, and mention how your services may be useful. For example, “I see you have just opened a second location in Springfield. Have you updated your website’s SEO to rank locally for your new store? I may be able to help with this.”

First paragraph - Describe work you have done for similar clients and the results of your work.

Second Paragraph - Present your credentials and mutual connections.

Closing - Call to action with contact information.

 

Your call to action should gently nudge your prospect towards continuing the conversation. Use language such as, “I have a few ideas that I think will help you with XXX.” Make it easy to set up a phone conference or meeting with online appointment scheduling software such as TimeTrade or Acuity Scheduling.

If you don’t get a response, follow-ups are appropriate. Your first email may have hit your target’s inbox at a bad time. If after three or four emails, you still have no response, it is best to move on to better prospects.

 

 

This article was written by Gillian Burdett for Small Business Pulse